Still no suspects in stabbing of Troy police officer

Because of darkness, head gear, descriptions of suspects poor in Wednesday attack

By BOB GARDINIER, Staff writer

Updated 9:24 pm, Thursday, January 5, 2012

Image 1of/4

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 4

Officer Michael Johnson (Photo provided by Troy Police Department)

Officer Michael Johnson (Photo provided by Troy Police Department)

Image 2 of 4

Troy Police search the wooded area near Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, looking for evidence of the assault on a police officer that took place on Wednesday evening. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union) less

Troy Police search the wooded area near Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, looking for evidence of the assault on a police officer that took place on Wednesday evening. (Skip Dickstein / Times ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Image 3 of 4

Troy Police Mobile Command Center sits Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. Jan 5, 2011 while officers search the surrounding area for evidence of the assault on a police officer that took place in a ravine near the are last evening. ( Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Troy Police Mobile Command Center sits Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. Jan 5, 2011 while officers search the surrounding area for evidence of the assault on a police officer that took place in a ravine near the are ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Image 4 of 4

Troy Police Public Information Officer Captain John Cooney speaks to the media as Troy Police investigators search the wooded area near Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, looking for evidence of the assault on a police officer that took place Wednesday evening. (Skip Dickstein / Times Union) less

Troy Police Public Information Officer Captain John Cooney speaks to the media as Troy Police investigators search the wooded area near Eddy's Lane in Troy, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, looking for evidence ... more

Photo: Skip Dickstein

Still no suspects in stabbing of Troy police officer

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

TROY — A manhunt is on for the three men who police said fled after a confrontation that left a Troy police officer with stab wounds.

"We are running down a few leads but we don't have good descriptions of the suspects because of the darkness in the area where it happened," Cooney said. "They were also wearing some sort of head gear that made their faces hard to see."

He said Johnson, who has been on the force for less than 10 years, also suffered cuts to his face and head.

According to an incident report on file at the police department, Johnson, who was patrolling alone, radioed in at about 10:30 p.m. that he was checking on three suspicious people lingering at a dead end near the corner of West Sunnyside and House avenues. The report said the men were wearing gloves and something covering their faces.

Related Stories

Seconds later, he called in "foot pursuit." At 10:32 p.m., Johnson radioed "shots fired," according to the report.

Thirty seconds later, a responding officer put out the call for "officer down," the report said.

Cooney said Johnson was stabbed in the leg and two other officers carried him for an eighth of a mile from the scene.

No evidence was found that any of the suspects were shot. They ran in the direction of the nearby Martin Luther King Apartment complex on Eddy's Lane.

Thursday morning, police scoured the area for evidence but only found a knife. It was not clear whether the knife was related to the incident.

Cooney also said detectives are still interviewing the officer and getting more specific details.

It is not the first time Johnson has been injured on the job. On May 1, 2006, the officer was bitten on the thigh by a woman during a domestic dispute call on Van Every Avenue. He was not seriously injured.